Legend of Parocaav: The Quest for Redemption (First Draft)

Chapter XVII: Mistress Karleigh

Roku cannot believe her eyes. Here she was, facing the death of a human life once again. This was completely new to her. Living up in the mountains with the hermit monk Crito, she was never exposed to this sort of thing. But her she is, witnessing death first hand. She looks up from the body to look at Drayk.

There's no way this can still bother him. He's watched death his entire life. People that he knew, people he colonized around, the soldiers he killed during the ongoing war and even his own family. To her surprise though, the look on Drayk's face appeared to be in shock. Maybe she doesn't know Drayk as well yet as she though.

"We have to stop her," Drayk blatantly states.

"Agreed," Roku nodded.

They start moving toward the fire created by the explosion. Cackling can be heard again once more. The laugh gave Roku chills that shot all the way up her spine to the back of head. The hair on her neck stands slightly at attention. This woman has got to be horrible. Sounds like a cackling old hag. Drayk and Roku are now close enough to see a roaring fire, and a woman from the backside.

Suddenly she stops laughing and turns to face them. Before Drayk and Roku, stands a woman who looks just a few years older than them. The woman has long and silky pitch black hair that goes down just passed her buttocks. Her skin a very pale white, and her entire eyes were solid black. Her clothes were skin tight black leather, showing the shape of her slim figure. She definitely is the Mistress of Evil. Karleigh looks like she is very well suited to he the bride of the God of Darkness.

"Bringers of Hope. So good to finally meet you," Karleigh says with a hiss in her voice, "I hear you had a run in with Kraag and chased him off like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs! That's rich."

"You're Karleigh aren't you?" Roku asks her.

"Do not address me in such a manner little girl! You may only address me as Mistress!" Karleigh hissed like a snake.

Her voice was soft in tone, and probably once very beautiful. Now, it has a hissing sound behind it as she speaks. This makes Roku cringe inside with every word she speaks. She was probably a beautiful woman once, when she had normal colored skin.

"In the name Parocaav, I will destroy you!" Drayk yells running at her with his still drawn and flaming sword.

He thrusts the blade right towards Karleigh's chest. Inches before the blade can reach her, she waves her hand to the side. Drayk goes flying into a pile of rubble.

"No mortal weapon could ever defeat me!" Karleigh laughs.

Roku looks at her in terror. She had never seen such a spell. That was not any elemental spell she could think of. Karleigh turns to face Roku, rising up her left arm. Roku begins to rise as Karleigh raises her arm. Roku is unable to move! She can't even blink her or move her own eyes. Drayk charges at her again, still with his blade. She wasn't looking at him after all. As soon as the blade strikes Karleigh, her body turns into a black smoke. He goes right through and falls forward, sticking his sword straight into the ground.

"I told you Drayk. No mortal weapon can kill me!" Karleigh cackles.

Drayk leaves his sword jammed into the earth. Fighting this close, especially with Roku trapped by a spell, he couldn't use Ultimate Magic. His hands ignite in flames and he throws a fireball at Karleigh. All she does is lift her right hand and the fire is extinguished by a random burst of water around it. Drayk swallows real hard. This was not going to be easy. Roku is still trying to move, but unable to do so. Her eyes are starting to burn from not being able to blink.

Karleigh lowers both arms to sides, leaving Roku suspended in thin air. Drayk stares into her black eyes, not sure what to try. He tries to recall all his known spells, and even all the alchemy he knows. Nothing is coming to mind. Chills run down his spine, a his hairs standing on end. The pure look of evil in this woman's eyes was unreal. The literally struck him frozen with fear. He was like a deer trapped in a bright light.

Karleigh laughs and brings her left hand up to waist level. She flicks her index finger toward Drayk. He goes flying several yards, hitting part of a wall that still remained. The impact knocked the wind out of him. Drayk gasps for air. He looks up the Mistress of Evil, is eyes lightly watering. This woman wasn't human anymore. It was like Drayk was trying to fight a Goddess. Xivaac had done so much more than give her great power and immortality. He must have created another deity out of her!

"That's all you got, Bringer of Hope?!" Karleigh laughs, "You are pathetic! Lord Xivaac has nothing to fear. You're powerless!"

This hiss of a voice rings in Drayk's ears. The words piercing his soul. He thinks back to Sammi, he can't let her down. Drayk focuses on the vision from Lady Parocaav. His hands start glowing a swirl of white and blue. They spark with black electricity. He moves his hands toward Karleigh. Black lightning shoot from his palms. The zigzag through the air, striking the Mistress of Evil on her arm ans stomach. She yells as she gets burned by the lightning. The spots that were hit steam and black marks on her white skin.

"That hurt you little bastard!" Karleigh shouts.

"So a Goddess can feel pain." Drayk says just loud enough for Karleigh to hear.

A sudden confidence built up in Drayk. He starts shooting the woman with more and more bolts. Strike after strike, Karleigh shrieks out. She couldn't let it pass through her. She couldn't even reflect it. At that moment it hits her. They had learned Ultimate Magic. The Bringers of Hope had received the power of a Goddess. She puts up a purple shield barrier in front of her. The bolts get absorbed into it.

"We're a better match of your power than you think witch!" Drayk shouts.

"You might think so," Karleigh says under her breath.

She makes a fist with her left hand in front of her. She opens the palm of her hand and blows on it. A purple dust flies into the air off her hand. Part of it hits Drayk right in the face, being inhaled in through his nose. The other part soars up to Roku, going into her nose. Images of random shapes and colors flash in their eyes. Both Drayk and Roku start feeling dizzy and lightheaded. The sound of the Mistress of Evil laughing echo in their minds, fading as they do. Soon, Drayk ans Roku fall into a very deep slumber.